Pretzel Crust Pizza

Before Little Caesar’s burst on to the scene with their Pretzel Pizza, Auntie Anne’s was already making Pepperoni Pretzels way before you could say “Hot and Ready.” That’s where I initially got the idea for pizza on a pretzel crust. I talked about it in my Caramel Apple Crisp Braid Recipe and posted a photo of my initial success. Don’t ask me how I got a whole pizza crust covered with the cold baking soda solution. I’ve no idea now! I’m sure I struggled with it.

As I experimented more with homemade pretzel dough and pretzel buns, I discovered signature pretzel taste was more present in a boiling baking soda bath.

Did you know that to get a truly authentic pretzel crust and taste, baker’s use a lye bath. Lye is a chemical, a.k.a. sodium hydroxide and can burn your skin off if not protected while working with it. It can even dissolve glass! Dude, if it burns off my skin, why would I want to ingest it?

“Lye can be toxic in high concentrations, but is also commonly used for curing foods like lutefisk. Most bakers use food-grade lye, which is the chemical equivalent of drain cleaner, but is produced and packaged in a clean, regulated way.” ( Source: The Salt ) Hmm, drain cleaner packaged in a clean, regulated way. <Looks up to the ceiling. Thinking…thinking.> Uh, No!

Enter, baking soda bath. Safe for the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Sign me up! Obviously, I wasn’t throwing a whole pizza dough in a vat of boiling soda ash, so I began making smaller 7″ pies. The simmering bath is what gives the dough that chewy soft resistance when you bite in. It also allows the pretzel to brown nicely in the oven.

Check out the puffed buttery brown edges sprinkled with sea salt, just begging to be eaten. Just look at the steamy pizza in all it’s glory, oozing with melted mozzarella and crispy pepperoni on a soft pretzel. Does it really get any better than that?

It’s easy to make too. I got home Friday night after work about 5:45 pm and my pretzel dough was resting nicely under a towel on the warm stove precisely at 6:11 pm. I poured myself a glass of wine and did a few small preparations until the dough was ready to be rolled into personal pies.

At 7 pm I was cutting and measuring the dough on a scale into 4 equal pieces and I rolled them out. I dropped them in the simmering soda bath. Brushed them with butter, salted the edges, and pre baked the pretzel dough for a few minutes. I then put the toppings on and put them back in the oven to finish off. Snapped a few photos and by 8 pm we were eating. Not bad for a start to finish dough from scratch. And it certainly is a nice change up from regular pizza dough.